After a nine-year stint with Star India, Viren Popli has decided to put in his papers as Senior VP and Head of Mobile Entertainment. Popli is currently serving his notice period and will be in office until the first week of May 2009. Speculations are rife about his joining Mahindra & Mahindra Entertainment, which Popli refused to comment on.

Popli said, “Yes, I have put in my papers at Star India, I have worked
in every division in Star TV per se and I have seen the mobile
business come a long way too since we had started. Now, I believe it
is time to move on and it's time for change as I have worked long
enough with Star.”

Popli declined to shed light on where he is headed next, however, he did say that it was within the media space and was hoping to do much more than just mobile and Internet.

Popli had been with News Corp-owned STAR for over nine years, prior to which he was with Ranbaxy for almost six years. He had set up Stars Mobile Entertainment division, and with his team, was responsible for the execution of almost 500 different interactive activities using text, voice and data services across Star’s 11 channels over the past three years, including ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. Popli is also a member of FICCI’s Digital Entertainment Committee and CII’s Mobile Value Added Services Committee.